128
NOTES AND QUERIES.
[12 S. V. MAY, 1919.
" STRAITSMAN."
(12 S. iv. 186, 257.)
I HAD not seen the section of the ' N.E.D.' that contains this term when I sent my former reply, which was only penned after consulting some of the officials at Lloyd's. Under " Strait," B. 3, I find that the Dictionary confirms the suggestion made at the second reference by the REV. A. G. KEALY with regard to "Straits" :
" The Straits in the 17th and 18th centuries usually meant the Straits of Gibraltar ; now, where there is no contextual indication, chiefly the Straits of Malacca."
Under B. 11 occur :
" Straits-born, born in the Straits Settlements.
" Straitsman, (a) a ship suitable for the Straits ;
(&) Australian (J. L. Stokes, " Discov.," 1846).
' Straitsmen is the name by which those who inhabit the eastern and western entrance of Bass Strait are known.'
" 1799. Hull Advertiser. ' The good brigan- tine Lady Bruce. .. .would make an excellent coaster or streightsman.' "
This I take to refer to the Straits of Dover.
"1686. T. Hale, 'Ace. New Invent.' 1691 [sic]
- a good Streights sheathing and not above half
so much as an East-India sheathing.' "
This may relate to the Straits of Malacca, but the following examples certainly do :
"1693. Luttrell, 'Brief Relation': 'The Streights fleet and their convoy ' (Ibid.). ' The Dutch Streights and West India fleets are arrived.' "
However, I am pleased to say I have just chanced on a very noteworthy letter- in Pepys's correspondence which carries " straitsman " in its Asiatic acceptation still farther back. It may be deemed advantageous if at the present time I quote the greater part of the Earl of Sandwich's letter to the Duke of Albemarle, which ultimately reached Mr. Pepys :
On board the Prince, 30 leagues N.N.W. from the Texel.
Sept. 5, 1665. May it please your Grace,
Since I putt last to sea on Thursday last, wee had a storme of winde att N.N.W., which God be thanked, did tis noe other damage than spoiling the mast? of the Diamond, sent into Harwich, and 40 barrels of the Soveraigne's powder. Separated very few [of] us, though the same upon the coast, of Norway much dispersed the Dutch, some of which were light uppon on the 3rd of Septy. Tooke 2 of their East India men, a Straights man. a Malaya man, and 4 men of warre ; 3 of them of 50 guns and one of 40 guns, and some other small vessells. I have intelligence the greatest parte of their fleet is about the Walbanck, whither I am now plying and hope
to see them shortly. I thought requisite to
send a vessell to in forme the King and Duke thus;
much of us, and your Grace, noe person in the
world being a truer and thankfuller servant of
your Grace's than, &c. SANDWICH.
The Hector is unfortunately sunke, and the- Captain and most of her men drowned ; only 25 saved. The Captain carried himself exceed- ingly well ; helped to take the Vice-admirall of the East Indies, and only putt some men on board her, and went on to engage the mon of warre- Capt. Con (Capt. of the Mary) is hurt ill in the foote with a great shott.
I have copied this letter from Lord Bray- brooke's edition of * The Diary and Corre- spondence of Samuel Pepys,' 1890, vol. iv. p. 251. Lord Sandwich appends a table of the men-of-war and merchantmen cap- tured on Sept. 3 and 4, with the names of their captors. From this we learn that " a mercht. ma,n from the Straights " was captured by the ship Guinea, and that " another Streights mercht. soe engaged [by the Ruby] that they sett her on fire."
In the ' Life of Lord Clarendon ' by himself it is stated that this fleet of mer- chantmen had been met on its way to* Holland by Admiral de Ruyter's squadron,, which was convoying it home, " or ought to have been " ; but, as several of the vessels were proceeding to different destina- tions, the company had got scattered, with the result that Lord Sandwich in two* encounters captured 8 of the larger ships, 2 East Indiamen, and some 20 of the- smaller craft.
The significance of the Dutch colonies- in the East- Indies is thus commented on by Clarendon :
" where they [the Dutch] had planted themselves- in great and strong towns, and had many har- bours well fortified, in which they constantly maintained a great number of good and strong- ships, by which they were absolute masters of those seas, and forced the neighbouring kings- and princes to enter into such terms of amity with, them as they thought fit to require." ' Life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, and a Continuation of his History of the Grand Rebellion/ vol. ii- p. 53, Oxford, 1857.
The " large Straitsman " mentioned ins W. Hickey's ' Memoirs ' was evidently a- vessel hailing from the Orient.
N. W. HILL.
Lloyd's, Royal Exchange.
A " Straitsman " was a sailing vessel' trading (1) through the Straits of Gibraltar and up the Mediterranean ; (2) to the- Straits Settlements ; or (3) through the Straits of Magellan, round Cape Horn. The- last is sometimes called "a Homer'" amongst sailors. J. W. FAWCETT.
Consett, co. Durham.
